Best Herbal Iced Tea

Discover which herbs make the best herbal iced tea.

These herbs are refreshing, thirst-quenching and great tasting. The best part is that the plants have health benefits so you can enjoy your icy beverage while also caring for your wellbeing. The herbs are all very safe and gentle, even for children so the whole family can enjoy.

To make the best herbal iced tea, use the following herbs on their own or combine them for unique flavors. You can use either fresh or dried herb unless noted.

• Hibiscus is sour, delicious and makes a beautifully red tea from the dried calyx. It is one of the best herbs to help cool you off on a hot summer day. It’s also known to support heart health and contains a high amount of vitamin C as well as antioxidants. Hibiscus may also lower blood sugar levels.

• Lemon balm has a light lemony flavor. The fresh herb tastes far better than when dried. It is considered a heart tonic for cardiovascular system health. Most notably, lemon balm is useful for general exhaustion, stress, anxiety, grief and mild depression. Those with hypothyroidism should avoid lemon balm.

• Lemon verbena has a lemon flavor with a hint of mint. Lemon verbena is best known for use to ease tension, reduce anxiety and calm nerves. Lemon verbena is excellent for many common digestive issues and can help reduce joint pain.

• Green tea is one of the most common and familiar tea flavors. The dried leaf has been widely researched as an excellent medicinal. It provides anticancer, antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Green tea is also known to assist heart health.

• Peppermint is one of the more spicy mints. It makes a wonderful gentle pick-me-up. Peppermint is a digestive herb, helpful where there is gas, colic, and indigestion. It’s one of the best remedies for relief of nausea.

• Spearmint is refreshing, uplifting and more mild than peppermint. It has similar medicinal properties as peppermint and is a great choice for children.

• Rose petals are soothing, light and floral. Tea from rose petals is a tonifying beverage to help support the whole system. They are particularly helpful in heart formulas. Roses are gently relaxing in action and aroma.

• Elder flower is sweet and floral. While elder flower is most noted for colds and flu, especially to help sweat out a fever, this is usually when taken as a hot tea. However, as a cold tea, it is a useful diuretic that helps to expel excess water from the body.

Best Herbal Iced Tea Directions:

If using a mixture of herbs, combine them together in equal parts. If using dried herbs, you can mix up a large batch of the herbs for storage so it will be ready to use at any time. For every cup of tea, add a heaping teaspoon of dried herb, or heaping tablespoon of fresh herb.

1. Heat water in a pan until it just starts to boil and remove from heat
2. Add the herb and cover the pan
3. Let steep for 10 minutes
4. Strain
5. Let cool and serve over ice

Feel free to leave any comments or questions below. If you would like to learn more about herbal medicine, check out the Home Herb School at www.homeherbschool.com